72 Hours
by DarkCrystalis
Summary: [Complete] “Yes?” She mumbled into the phone, wiping the sleep from her eyes with her free hand. “Kagome, I got the blood test results back.” The tone he used as he spoke meant that he had bad news. “You’re going to die within the next 72 hours.”
1. Chapter One

**72 Hours  
By: DarkCrystalis**

**Disclaimer: **I don't have one, you evil owners of Inuyasha people (which don't include me, I might add). However, if I create any original characters, they are all mine to do whatever I want with. 

Summary:

Kagome, at the tender age of 4, was adopted by Kaede after her mother's sudden death. With her new mother, Kagome lives a relatively normal life; until a few days after her 20th birthday.

When visiting the doctor due to recent feelings of illness, Kagome expects to be given antibiotics for a cold.

However, that's not the case…

Inuyasha, a Psychologist, ends up being the person Kagome talks to, after she's determined to live through her depressing discovery.

They chat with one another for hours each day, talking about everything and anything except Kagome's true discomfort; the news she got from the doctors.

Throughout their meetings, however, Inuyasha finds himself falling in love…

…as does Kagome.

XxXx

**Chapter One**

Yawning, Kagome stretched her sore arms above her head. Closing her eyes abruptly from the intense sunlight pouring through her bedroom's windows, she rolled over in bed, wishing to never get out.

After a few minutes of lounging around, she pulled herself out of bed, sitting on the mattress's side. Grabbing a fresh pair of underwear and socks from her bedside drawer, she put them on quickly.

Then, changing out of her t-shirt, she gingerly threw on a bra and a new t-shirt, sliding on a pair of dark blue jeans over her legs afterwards.

Sniffling, Kagome felt her nose tingle, which only meant one thing…

Staring into the window, she waited for her release.

After the quiet sneeze, her body shuddered.

Suddenly realizing how cold she was, Kagome shivered at her lack of warmth. Only a minute or so on her feet, and she already missed her warm covers that only her bed could allow.

Deciding that wearing a sweater would be a good idea, Kagome threw on the hooded sweatshirt closest to her, which was black, and had Tokyo University emblazoned on the front.

Walking out of her bedroom, she shut the door behind her.

"Kaede?" Kagome shouted from upstairs, waiting for the elderly woman's reply.

In all reality, Kaede was her adoptive mother since she was three; however, she saw her as more of a grandmother figure, due to her age and disposition.

"Yes child?" was the typical reply.

Kagome chewed her bottom lip, doing her damned best to remember why she'd called her in the first place.

"Oh yeah," she mumbled to herself, and then yelling with much more volume, "I'm going to the doctor's today! I've been feeling--" stopping when Kaede appeared in front of her, she blushed.

Speaking in a normal tone of voice, Kagome continued. "Lately, I've been feeling pretty sick. It's so weird, because I hardly ever get ill, you know? So, as a precaution, I'm going to go get this checked out. It won't be a big deal, though; I'll probably need some antibiotics, or something."

"I'm glad I don't need to prompt ye to get checked. Anyway, I need to do some grocery shopping today, so I'll be quite busy myself! But, just in case you need to pick up some medication…" Slipping her some money, Kagome nodded thankfully. "I don't want you to spend your hard-earned money on medication; ye is still young, child. Enjoy your young life while it lasts, right?"

Hugging her in response, Kagome smiled brightly before running down the stairs, and flying out the door.

"For one her age, she's still got quite the bit of energy, even when she's ill, I see…"

XxXx

Stopping and panting heavily outside her house, Kagome held her right hand to her chest.

_Why do I feel so tired all of a sudden?_

Grinning wryly, she realized she hadn't run so fast since a couple years back, when she was on the high school track team in grade ten.

_I'm seriously out of shape now! No more pushing my body so much… _

However, she was still suspicious; running down the stairs and a few meters shouldn't make her tired, should it?

_But then again, I'm sick. My body is in over-work mode right now, trying to heal me up. I shouldn't be running at all! _

Beginning to walk at a slow pace, Kagome took laboured breaths as she walked down the sidewalk. Nodding her head to people she knew as she passed, Kagome admired the bright and sunny day afore her.

"Today is truly a lovely day," she stated happily, taking in a deep breath of air, only to begin coughing roughly.

"God…damn…fumes…" she was able to mumble while nearly choking on the air.

Once her breathing was restored to a semi-normal basis, she continued the trek to the doctor's office. In theory she could have driven, but lately, she'd been feeling house-ridden.

For the past few days, her normal, energetic self seemed to be severely drained. It was like the life had been drained out of her, leaving nothing but a barren, barely living body, she suddenly realized.

Even walking around the house, and doing anything strenuous tired her out very easily, which was what finally made her go to the doctor.

Making it to the clinic, she stepped in, easily conversing with the secretary.

"I'm sorry Sango," Kagome said, frowning slightly, "but do you think it's possible that I see Dr. M.Rei today? I know I didn't make an appointment…"

Smiling at the weathered Kagome, Sango May pet her hand gently.

"He's not busy today at all, according to his schedule. It seems that I can fit you in right about now, actually! Is that alright with you?"

"It's more than okay! That's great!"

Going to sit down, she stopped rather quickly when her name was called.

"Kagome Higurashi, what can I do for you?"

XxXx

Once she seated herself on one of the chairs, she watched as he closed the door behind him.

Jotting down something on the clipboard with a black pen, he lazily sat down on his chair beside the desk.

Kagome yawned again behind her hand, leaning forwards slightly to get comfortable. In all reality, she hated doctors in general, but Miroku Rei made visiting the doctor's office as comfortable as it could be.

"So, what's wrong with you today?" He asked some-what jokingly, glancing to her relaxed form.

"It might sound strange because I can't explain this very well, so just make do with what I say."

He gave her an awkward look, but didn't say anything.

"For the past while, I've been feeling really…tired. Even just walking around the house, or showering exhausts me. For a while, I thought maybe I wasn't getting enough sleep, so I went to bed earlier to get more rest; but that didn't help."

As she spoke, he wrote down some points which she couldn't see. Either way, she continued.

"However, the thing that bugs me the most is that I've gotten sick with something. I've had the symptoms all week, but I waited for them to go away. I never get sick, which is why I'm worried. Alright, so I've been sick maybe three times, but never longer than a couple days…" Kagome knew she was rambling just a little, so she stopped.

Miroku looked up from his clipboard, sighing at all the possible sicknesses flying through his head.

"Colds tend to tire people out, as does the flu," he stated in a clear, deep voice. "However, you having just a cold isn't definite; there could be so many other possible complications…"

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, he began asking her questions.

"Did your mother or father get sick often?"

Kagome's eyebrows shot skywards, not liking the fact that her mother was being brought up in their conversation.

"I—I wouldn't know; she died when I was really young. As for my dad, I wouldn't know. He left my mother when she was pregnant with me, as far as I know."

Nodding his head thoughtfully, he continued.

"Your mother…do you know how, or why she died?"

Kagome shook her head, not bothering to look at him. "It's like some sort of big mystery—no one is, or was willing to tell me. I wondered for a long time…" Frowning, she hated the sudden wash of tears that clouded her eyes.

"I should look into that—it might explain your strange illness. You were right when you said that your cold should have disappeared. Maybe I'll just run some blood tests, if that's alright with you."

Nodding, Kagome smiled a tiny smile.

"You can never be too safe in today's society when it comes to your health, you know?"

He smiled slightly, but the smile faded when Kagome's eyes met his. She looked so crestfallen, and unlike her normal self; it was like she had an idea of what was coming…

I'll use up a favour and get the test results back to you tonight, and call you at home."

Nodding her head mutely, Kagome mumbled a "thank you" before exiting the tiny room.

Suddenly, she felt like an impending doom was being held over her head; a dark, ominous cloud was awaiting her tonight…

…and she'd have to wait until Dr. Rei called back to find out what exactly it was.

XxXx

Forcefully yanking her body upright from her laying down position, Kagome reached over behind her head to pick up the shrill ringing of the telephone.

Hours earlier she'd came home, and collapsed in a tired heap on the couch. Once again she'd been far beyond exhausted, the walk proving to be far more tiring than she'd originally planned. Sleep had claimed her instantly, making her conk out.

"Yes?" She mumbled into the phone, wiping the sleep from her eyes with her free hand.

"Kagome, I got the blood test results back."

The tone he used as he spoke meant that he had bad news.

Kagome shivered involuntarily despite her body's regular temperature. Something told her that those earlier predicted clouds were about to get a hell of a lot more grey and stormy…

"Well, at least it explains why you've been feeling so tired and sick lately…" Pausing mid sentence, Dr. Rei didn't know how else to tell her. This was news no one ever wanted to hear, and as her doctor and a friend, he really didn't want to do this; but he had to.

"Kagome, you've got AIDS, and starting tomorrow, you're going to die within the next 72 hours."

He continued speaking about "if it was caught earlier", and "it's too far along now to do anything about it", but she didn't hear him; she didn't hear anything at all.

Kagome had AIDS, and she was dying.

Rather suddenly, it felt like the blood in her veins had frozen. She felt cold, empty, and lonely.

Kagome vaguely heard him call her name on the other end of the line, but what he had to say didn't matter anymore.

Hanging up the phone, Kagome lay back down to her previous position and fell asleep, ignoring the phone when it rang again and again ceaselessly.

Perhaps when she woke up this would all just be a dream.

XxXx

**Day One-  
First Half**

Panting and sweating a few hours later, Kagome shot up from the couch glanced at the wall clock across from the couch.

5:03a.m.

Wincing at the sudden pains shooting throughout her body, Kagome put her right hand to her head, massaging her temple in pain.

Closing her eyes, the conversation with Dr. Rei played over in her head from hours before, or more specifically, the one line that had changed her life.

_"Kagome, you've got AIDS, and starting tomorrow, you're going to die within the next 72 hours." _

It wasn't true; it was a mix up of the blood samples, a cruel, practical joke, or something else.

Either way, she was **not** dying.

Finally having convinced herself of this, Kagome scowled.

Angrily, Kagome swung her legs over the couch's side, despite her body's strong protests. She was determined to get something done, anything, as long as she didn't continue feeling so worthless.

Taking a few baby steps towards the stairs, Kagome panted heavily, feeling a rush of hatred swarm her.

_I hate you, body. I hate you, and your weak soul, and your lack of desire to live._

With that thought chanting over and over in her mind, Kagome set to the difficult task of climbing the stairs. Taking one at a time, Kagome slowly made her way up, stopping halfway through to breathe in deeply.

_Funny how much I've changed in just half a day; I walked to the doctor's office yesterday and seemed borderline-okay, but now I can't even walk up the damn stairs without wanting to collapse._

Finishing the trek with much difficulty, Kagome finally made it into her room, doing her best to keep quiet. Kaede was sleeping, and the last thing she wanted was to wake her up.

Even changing her clothes was a task now, despite how easy it used to be. In fact, in silence, she questioned herself.

_Perhaps I used to take putting on clean clothing for granted now that I struggle with this task. _

Closing her eyes once the mission was accomplished, Kagome vaguely realized that she hadn't eaten for a very long time.

_Maybe I'll feel better if I eat something…_

With that thought in mind, Kagome left her bedroom once again, only to be met with the same stairs as before.

"You stupid things," she mumbled aloud, uncaring. "It's much easier to climb down you than up."

Making her way down the flight of stairs faster than before, Kagome silently applauded her self-encouragement.

Now all she had to do was open a can of soup, grab a pot, and turn on the stove. After that, the only thing left to do was pour the soup in the pot, and put the pot on the stove. Voilla! A gourmet meal, prepared by yours truly, Kagome Higurashi.

After doing the aforementioned steps, Kagome sat back down on the couch. Switching on the tv, she scowled when nothing was on.

_Don't people watch television at 5:00 a.m. anymore?_

Grumbling to herself, Kagome forced her body to go back to the kitchen and check on the soup. Finding it boiling just as it was supposed to, she turned off the stove, and pulled out a spoon from in one of the drawers.

Going back to the couch, she plunked herself down, spilling boiling hot soup down the front of her clean shirt.

"Oh well," she said out loud, not caring one bit. "It's not like anyone will see me, anyway."

Settling on the news-weather channel, Kagome smiled slightly when they spoke of a bright and sunny morning with slightly warmer than usual temperatures around this time of the season in the afternoon.

_At least that's something to look forward to. Maybe I'll go outside in a little bit…_

However, before she could enjoy the weather report fully, something else came to mind.

_What will I tell Kaede? Should I even bother telling her? _

Shaking her head gravely, Kagome immediately knew she wouldn't mention her current status to the older woman.

_I love her too much to break her dear heart like this…I'll just…keep it to myself. _

Shaking her head suddenly, Kagome growled out loud at the television to no one in particular.

"I'm not dying, damnit! Body, stop thinking you're dying before I kill you myself!"

Satisfied when she didn't feel as tired all of a sudden, Kagome drained the last remnants of soup left in the pot.Patting her belly in approval, she left it on one of the couch's cushions as she walked to the front door.

It was already past 6:00 a.m. according to her wristwatch, which meant there'd be some shops open.

_Maybe I'll go and buy something I've always wanted, but couldn't have, or go and see something I've never seen before. _

Writing a quick note to her foster mother about her absence, Kagome closed the door as she exited her home.

Walking at a turtle's pace down the sidewalk, Kagome grinned to the people waiting at the bus stop in their suits and formal attire, ready for work. Some of them were nice enough to smile back, while others ignored her completely.

Uncaring to their rude behaviour, Kagome continued the walk, slow and steady, towards a plaza closer to home than the doctor's office was. Inside the plaza were many little stores, mostly ones she'd never visited before. Convenience shops, a book store, coffee shop, and fruit store were stuck together, each of the buildings labeled with a sign of some sort with the shop's title on the front in big print.

However, as she passed each of them, she paused in front of a building she'd never even noticed before. It was plain brown, blending in with it's surroundings fairly easily.

Interested, Kagome strolled over to it, and pushed the glass doors open with difficulty. Looking around, Kagome bit her lip in confusion.

_This looks sort of like a doctor's office, but it doesn't smell like one, or…_

Before her thoughts continued, a woman's voice killed the silence.

"Hello miss, can I help you?"

Turning towards the source of the sound, Kagome nodded her head once.

"Yes, you can; I'd like to know what this place is."

The woman behind the counter gave her a strange look, but seemingly decided to oblige her anyway.

"This is a Psychologist's office. Mr. Taisho is the man you can come and voice all your problems to, in a confidential manner."

Kagome's lips formed an "oh" when things clicked. Thinking things over for a minute, Kagome managed a tiny smile.

"Is he available right now? I'd like to speak with him."

The woman looked doubtfully towards Kagome, an unhappy look settling on her features.

"Do you have an appointment?" she asked dumbly, although it was obvious Kagome didn't.

"I only just discovered what this building is—do you** think** I have an appointment?"

In reply, the woman shuffled some papers around her desk, and mumbled "Wait a moment," before disappearing down the hall.

Making herself at home, Kagome seated herself in one of the dark blue chairs, unhappy with how uncomfortable they were. Nonetheless, it was like a doctor's office here…no one could expect to be comfortable in such a setting.

Closing her eyes, Kagome took a deep breath. She felt tired all over again, but was determined this time not to fall asleep.

Down the hall, Kagome heard the previous woman's voice intermingle along with a man's. His voice was deep, strong, and solid; much unlike the voice of the secretary, who sounded more like a church mouse with his nose being plugged.

The man's voice steadily increased in volume as he made his way to the front of the clinic. Apparently, according to his nitwit secretary, a "new girl" had "randomly" walked in and had the "gall" to ask "what" this institution is.

Smiling slightly at the memory, Inuyasha Taisho ignored the woman's idiocy and instead found himself walking towards the possible patient whom was currently staring out the bright window behind her.

Sitting down beside her in one of the chairs in fear of frightening her otherwise, Inuyasha smiled at the woman afore him. Bright blue eyes met with his, an intriguing shade in the least.

However, to his displeasure, there was anger and depression in her expressive coloured eyes, which put him off greatly. Something was troubling this woman, and aside from the fact that he did this for a living, he wanted to find out what was bothering her.

"If you don't mind my asking, is anything wrong?"

Kagome stared into his golden-brown eyes, seeing nothing but friendliness there. Feeling skeptical despite that, she shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, and continued staring out the window once more.

Inuyasha watched her broken movements with interest, now more than ever wanting to know what was wrong with her. She seemed upset, but at the same time, disbelieving of something.

Clearing his throat none-too-discreetly, Inuyasha rose up from the chair and began to walk back to his office.

"If you need to talk to anyone, I'll be in my office. Feel free to—"

"I want to talk to you," Kagome mumbled in a rush, hoping he'd heard her.

"Of course, just come this way."

Watching his arm swoop in the direction of the single hallway, Kagome followed doubtfully, wondering what sort of mess she'd gotten herself into.

_Things can't get that bad—I mean, he's just like a therapist, right?_ _Besides, I don't have to talk if I don't want to; plus, I can talk about whatever I want._

After reassuring herself, Kagome no longer felt nervous as she entered one of the patient rooms with him.

Seating herself confidently on one of the comfortable chairs as requested, Kagome leaned back against the recliner.

Feeling suddenly powerful, Kagome crossed her arms over her chest, and stared cockily at the Psychologist.

"So, let's begin, shall we?"

XxXx

Despite her seemingly cold and arrogant attitude, Inuyasha had Kagome in tears within minutes of their "session." She spoke all about her mother's mysterious death, and how she'd never came to know her father.

Inuyasha barely spoke a word as Kagome (he soon discovered that was her name) went on to tell him about her adoptive (but older) mother, and how "truly lovely" she is.

Aside from her painful past about her mother and father, and her adoptive mother's taking of heart medications, some inkling inside Inuyasha told him Kagome was hiding her actual source of discomfort.

Staring at the girl when she'd randomly stopped, his eyebrows drew together when she began to pant in exertion.

"Kagome, are you alright?"

Leaning over in her chair, Kagome cursed her weak body once again, and promising to do so a million times over when she got home.

"I'm f-fine, just a little t-tired, that's all." Glancing at her wristwatch, Kagome's face contracted in horror when she realized it was already past 9:00 a.m., which meant she'd been there for at least the better part of two and a half hours.

"Oh my gosh, it's past 9 already? I'm so sorry for taking up your time!" Jumping up from her seat, Kagome instantly regretted her choice to do so when she was immediately knocked back down from the force of the pain in her chest.

"Kagome!"

Holding up her hand to her forehead, she effortlessly wiped away the sheen of sweat that had gathered there in her efforts to leave the room.

"Everything is alright; I just can't be moving so suddenly." Laughing with slight force, Kagome lifted her face to his.

Concern was clear in his eyes, aside from a sincere worry which didn't seem to fade, despite her attempt at reassurance.

"Really, I'm great!" Smiling brightly, Kagome was once again satisfied when the worried look disappeared from him, being replaced with a real smile. "However, I really should get going. I'm sure you've got other patients to see, and such…" Trailing off, Kagome didn't know what to say next.

After a moment's pause, Inuyasha spoke.

"No, I don't have any patients to see for the next couple days."

Drawing her brows together in confusion, Inuyasha elaborated.

"I see a couple patients once a week—however; I just saw them a couple days ago, so I won't be seeing them again for a little while more."

Nodding her head in understanding, Kagome relaxed again in the chair, happy that she didn't have to leave just yet.  
_  
I don't think I could, even if I wanted to. It hurts too damn much, and I'm getting tired all over again…_

After another moment's thought, Kagome's face contracted into a scowl when Inuyasha answered the telephone and wasn't looking in her direction.

_Stupid, stupid, body. I hate you body, I hate you; I really do._

XxXx


	2. Chapter Two

**72 Hours  
By: DarkCrystalis**

**Disclaimer: **I don't have one, you evil owners of Inuyasha people (which don't include me, I might add). However, if I create any original characters, they are all mine to do whatever I want with.

XxXx

**Chapter Two **

**Day One-  
Second Half **

Stepping out of the brown building, Kagome waited for Inuyasha's lead. He'd insisted that the two of them go for coffee because in all technicality, she wasn't his patient; just someone she was chatting with.

At first, Kagome's reaction was to panic.

_Going to a coffee shop means I'll have to get up; getting up means I'll have to walk, and having to walk means I'm going to be in pain. Being in pain means that Inuyasha will worry about me again, and not drop the subject as easily this time. This, in turn, will then aggravate me, and remind me of my "illness", which I do not want to remember._

Sighing, she came up with a solution.

_Stay straight-faced, and ignore the pain. Take slow, measured steps, regardless of the looks he throws at you. Make up some stupid excuse about hurting your ankle earlier, and he'll believe it._

With that in mind, she now waited for him outside as he said a few words to his brainless secretary.

After a few more moments, he strolled out of the building, giving her a small smile.

"So, where did you plan on dragging me?" Kagome asked with obvious teasing in her voice.

"There's a coffee shop just over this way," adding, "if you'd like," as an afterthought.

Smiling in response, Kagome fanned her arm out in front of her, gesturing for him to lead the way.

The short walk took a lot longer than it should have, and he noticed.

"Is there something out of place with your foot?"

Faking an ankle injury, Kagome began to purposely limp.

"Oh, it's nothing, really. I just fell on the sidewalk, tripping over some stupid…err…bottle, yes, a bottle full of dirty rain water which someone must have left behind a long time ago. It's not all bad, honestly."

**_In all honesty, you're lying and you know it._**

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her in disbelief, once again having a hard time buying her weak story. However, not wanting to push the issue, he found himself nodding a second later.

Sighing silently in relief when they finally made it, Kagome thanked god that she hadn't collapsed on her way to the shop. Something told her that Inuyasha wouldn't react overly well if she'd suddenly passed out along the way to the café.

Stepping into the dimly lit atmosphere, her sense of smell was immediately assaulted with the strong, but pleasurable scents of different coffees and cappuccinos. Irish cream, espresso, and mocha were what stood out the most, which made her mouth unconsciously water with excitement. It'd been ages since the last time she'd gotten gourmet coffee, and now seemed like a perfect time to do so.

Halting her slow movements, Kagome's body swiveled around to face Inuyasha, his body almost knocking into hers at the abrupt movement.

"Is everything alright, Kagome?" Up until now she hadn't realized how much she liked the way he said her name. Inuyasha managed to say it with an air of deep, natural calmness which warmed her to her toes. This time, concern was laced in his voice, wiping away her doubts of his intentions.

"I should call home," she muttered, not looking at him as she said this.

After a moments thought, Inuyasha understood. "To call your mother, correct?"

Staring up at him for a moment, Kagome smiled slightly following his previous question.

"I'll go use the payphone outside." Walking towards the door, she stopped when he called her name.

"Here, you can use my cell phone. These things are quite convenient, don't you think?"

Holding the tiny phone in her hands, Kagome pressed the buttons which would allow her to reach home. The phone rang, and rang, and rang, but no one picked up.

_That's odd…_

Furrowing her eyebrows in slight disappointment, Kagome handed the phone back to Inuyasha, thanking him for allowing her to use it.

"No one's home?"

"It seems that way; but this is a little strange. Baba-chan rarely leaves the house, except for when she needs to shop for food, but she did that yesterday…"

Pausing in her speech, Kagome shrugged her shoulders with some slight discomfort ensuing the minor body movement.

"Maybe she went to have a nap, or something," Inuyasha suggested.

"Maybe…" Kagome trailed off, not knowing what else to add.

A moment later, she managed to add "Let's get some coffee!" with enthusiasm clearly outlined in her voice.

Grabbing him by his hand, she pulled him towards the counter. Behind it lay all the different coffees, each of which made her want them more and more with every passing second.

"Hello, how can I help you today?" The employee seemed nice enough, looking more than ready to serve the two people in front of her.

"I want that one, and that one, and that one…"

To her absolute horror, Kagome had spoken aloud, and didn't notice until after Inuyasha gave her a strange look.

"I-I-uh…uhm…I didn't mean that," she mumbled, avoiding the confused stare from the lady behind the cash register.

"Well, when you make up your mind, let me know! As for you, sir, what would you like?" Giving her attention to the attractive man, she batted her eyes at him with complete adoration.

For some odd reason, Kagome found herself wanting to hit the girl, and yell "he's mine, he's mine!", but she didn't.

_Whoa, now that's a little scary. I barely even know the guy! Get that thought out of your mind right now!  
_  
Inuyasha shook his head at the woman, gesturing for Kagome to order first.

However, in Kagome's head, she found herself having a hard time deciding.First and foremost, sheignored her original thought of bashing the unknown woman.

Now that that was over with, she looked at the list of different high class café beverages posted on the wall. There were so many that she found herself having a hard time choosing, and instead of picking, looked to Inuyasha for help.

"What would you recommend, Inuyasha?"

To his and her surprise, the woman behind the counter answered before Inuyasha could even open his mouth.

"It all depends on your tastes; there are a huge variety of cafes offered here. There are strong tasting coffees, regular strength coffees, low-caffeine coffees, flavoured coffees, ice cappuccinos, regular cappuccinos, lattes, French vanillas, hot chocolates, white hot chocolates, and pretty much anything under the sun…" The list would have probably gone on and on if it weren't for Inuyasha lifting his hand to shut her up.

"I believe Kagome is quite capable of reading the boards on her own, thank you."

Surprise lit her features, and before she knew it, Kagome found herself grinning at the torn look on the woman's face.

"Inuyasha, what are you having?"

Pulling his face into a thoughtful pose, he turned to her and smiled briefly. "I think I'll settle with a regular sized Irish cream coffee."

Smiling brightly at his choice, Kagome found herself ordering the same as him. However, when the coffees were totaled up and came to just under five dollars, the two of them found themselves arguing over who would pay for the coffee.

"I should pay because I'm the gentleman," Inuyasha stated, pulling out a twenty dollar bill from his wallet.

Scowling at him, Kagome pushed his hand away, yanking out her own bill. "You spent the morning listening to me ramble free of charge, **and** I have a smaller bill. I doubt you'd like lots of loose change rolling around in your pocket; very unprofessional for a Psychologist." Winking after her long-winded statement, Kagome grinned, knowing she'd beaten him.

Sighing at her stronger come back, Inuyasha reluctantly allowed her to buy their beverages.

"Allow me to carry them, at least," he said in a defeated tone as he carried the cups to a dark green table (adorned with matching green and black chairs of course), near some windows.

Sitting down, he watched as she smelled her coffee delightfully. A small smile worked its way onto her lips as she couldn't wait to savour the enticing aromas that floated from her cup.

"What are you doing? I thought a coffee was to drink, not to smell."

"A true coffee-lover will enjoy the scent of the coffee before allowing it to grace your lips and mouth," she stated matter-of-factly, as if it were a well known thing.

Grinning at her strange statement, Inuyasha found himself staring at her once more as she finally sipped the drink, sighing in contentment.

This woman was an enigma; an interesting, random, and honest person whom he wanted to get to know some more.

However, before he could think of a question to ask her, she beat him to it.

"What about your family, Inuyasha?" It was the first time she'd said his name, and he didn't mind her tone one bit. In fact, he found himself quite liking the way she spoke.

"I have an older brother named Sesshoumaru, and my father whom lives not too far from here. My mother died a long time ago," he stated, a hint of sadness entering his golden eyes.

"I know how it feels," Kagome found herself whispering out to him, putting her free hand over his in comfort.

Pulling her hand away upon contact, Kagome did her best to ignore the sudden emotions that flooded her fingertips. A slightly warm and pleasant feeling spread on her hand, making her nose twitch in disbelief.

_What the hell is up with that? This sounds like something out of a fairytale!_

Ignoring the heat that still resided on her hand, Kagome played off an indifferent look on her face.

"Why did you choose to study Psychology?"

He was unprepared for the question, having found himself staring at his hand for a good moment or two before looking up at her.

"In all reality, I don't know. It was one of the random courses I'd taken in university, and it appealed to me. I did well in my Introduction to Psychology class, and found myself interested. Dropping all the courses for second semester, I completely changed my plan, and decided to follow Psychology. I guess this is where it brought me," Inuyasha finished, shrugging his shoulders. "And yourself?"

Now this was where she would have to lie, just a teeny bit. Kagome really didn't want to, but she knew she'd have to.

"Oh, I'm in university right now, studying English. My original plan was to take Early Childhood Education and become an elementary school teacher, but I dropped out of it. It wasn't for me, I guess. I like the English stream much better, anyway." Stopping there, Kagome found that she hadn't lied yet. Perhaps she wouldn't have to, after all.

"Really? I'd never really held an interest for English; it bored me. Do you know what you plan on doing after this?"

Inside, Kagome's mind screamed,_**There is no "after this"! You're going to be dead soon, woman,** _but she did her best to ignore it.

"I like to teach…maybe I'll become an English teacher. I'm not going to worry about it yet, though. I still have two or three more years ahead of me here in university to accomplish."

_**And two or three more days until you're dead**,_ the voice ground out in disapproval.

Ignoring the thought once again, Kagome found herself grinning darkly.

"If you're a Psychologist…you must be old." Staring at him long and hard, Kagome assessed his physique. He had long black hair, and golden eyes. His face was eerily pale, with natural soft pink-red lips to accent his eyes. His body overall was tall and lean, at least from what she could see.

All in all, he wasn't a bad looking man—not in the least.

In fact, he was quite hot.

Feeling herself blush, Kagome looked down into her coffee cup, avoiding looking at his face again.

Creasing his brows at her light blush on her high cheekbones, Inuyasha cleared his throat to gain her attention.

"Twenty three, actually."

The young number made her instantly suspicious.

"That's not possible! Psychologists are supposed to be old, and odd looking…"

Listening to him laugh over her ludicrous statement, she found that his laugh was quite infectious. Soon enough, Kagome found herself laughing along with him.

After the laughter had died down, Inuyasha continued.

"I finished high school at seventeen, and started college following the summer. I was been in school for five years, even taking courses over the summer and during the night to lower the number of classes. I finished in under half the time because I'd spent twice as long in school than any of the other students did. I kept away from partying and clubbing, choosing to focus on my studies. I was determined to finish early…" Trailing off once more, he grinned. "Although, my friends in high school would never believe it—they knew me as the class clown, and lazy ass."

Smiling, Kagome found herself finding a liking to this man named Inuyasha Taisho.

**_No, you idiot! Don't start liking him—you'll screw yourselves over. Dying, remember?_**

Chewing her lip at the reminder, Kagome did her best to smile a little brighter.

No matter what would happen in her near future, she was determined to have a good time while she was alive—even if it killed her.

XxXx

After their conversation, the two strolled out of the coffee shop, their cravings for caffeine finally quenched.

Kagome was silent as they walked back to the building where Inuyasha worked. She glanced at him once in a while, unknowing of what to tell him.

**_You know what you should tell him—tell him now, before something happens…_**

Scowling once again, Kagome waved her arm in front of her in annoyance. She ignored the insistent thought, hating it even more each time it entered her mind.

However, before she had the chance to think of something else, her entire body tightened with pain.

Stopping in her tracks, she leant over, panting. Coughing followed, making her breaths even more shallow than before.

"Kagome?"

_Is…is this it? Am I going to die now, right in front of him?_

Not hearing his voice, Kagome weakly dropped onto her knees. The sudden pain was overwhelming, throwing her off balance. It shot throughout her entire system, announcing its unwelcome presence.

Staring into his eyes for a quick second, she managed the tiniest of smiles before passing out on the hardness of the sidewalk.

XxXx

_Sitting on the bed beside her mother, the four year old little girl gripped the motionless hand, holding on for dear life. _

Her breathing was short and labored, a sheen of sweat gathering over her brow.

"Mommy?"

At first, she thought her mother would ignore her.

However, she responded, although weakly, "Yes sweetie?"

Holding her hand even tighter now, she voiced her thoughts.

"Mommy, tell me you won't leave me; I don't want you to."

Smiling a tiny smile, her mother managed to run a weary hand through her daughter's hair.

"I'll never leave you, baby. I might not be there with you, but I promise I'll never leave you."

The girl's eyebrows drew together in confusion, not understanding what her mother was saying.

"Mommy…where's daddy? Why don't I have a daddy?"

She wasn't met with a response for a good few minutes as she watched her mother do her best to breathe deeper.

"Baby, I'm so tired—_let me sleep, just for a little while…" _

Now-a-days, that's all her mother ever did; sleep. She was always tired, never moving from her place in her bed, except to relieve herself. The illness was taking a toll on her, and it wouldn't be long until she faded away.

Ignoring her mother's request from naive ignorance, the little girl continued asking questions.

"Mommy, can we go shopping for pretty dresses today like we did before?"

Sighing at her daughter, she shook her head.

"Not today, baby. Maybe another time…"

Chewing her bottom lip, Kagome lay beside her mother on the bed, hugging her side.

"Mommy, you said you won't leave me, right?"

After a moment's pause, she was met with another reply. "That's right, baby girl."

Smiling naively, Kagome caressed her mother's face with her tiny hands.

Soon, she fell asleep beside her mother, whom also fell asleep for eternity.

**An hour later**, Kagome woke up beside her mother, smiling.

"Hi mommy!"

_However, this time, there was no response. _

"Mom?"

Silence.

"Oh, you must be sleeping still," she stated, feeling smart.

Cuddling beside her, the little girl stayed ignorant at her mother's state, falling into yet another light sleep.

**A little while later**, Kagome tried talking again.

"Mommy, I'm hungry. Can we eat some food? I think you're hungry, too."

Kagome's eyebrows drew together in confusion, not understanding why her mother wasn't answering her.

"Mommmmm?"

Understanding finally dawned in the girl's precious blue eyes, which left her shaking her head in denial.

Placing her head over her mother's heart, Kagome felt the innocent tears begin to fall down her cheeks.

"No…no, no, no! Mommy! **Please**, mommy! You** promised** me you wouldn't leave me! You** promised**, mommy!"

Sobbing into her mother's blanket, Kagome was left alone in the silence of her mother's bedroom to weep.

XxXx

Opening her eyes minutes later, the dim lighting of Inuyasha's office flooded her sight.

The nightmare had haunted her for years, and even today, it still managed to rock her senseless.

Composing herself in the way she knew how, Kagome took in her surroundings.

At first, she was confused.

_I don't remember coming into his office…_

Then, reality hit her like a ton of bricks.

_We were walking out of the coffee shop, and then I felt a surge of pain. Doing my best to ignore it, it persisted, managing to knock me to my knees. After that…everything else is unclear._

Bringing her fingers to her face, Kagome sighed as she rubbed her temples.

Inuyasha walked into the office seconds later, looking rather shocked that she was awake.

"You-you're awake," he mumbled obviously, making his way to the couch where he'd lay her down.

Kagome nodded, knowing that questions would follow.

"Wh-what happened, back there?"

At first, Kagome contemplated telling him the truth. However, she knew it wasn't the right thing to do.

_If I told him, maybe he'd abandon me, and leave me alone to die. I don't want to risk that…_

Shaking her head clear of those thoughts, Kagome sat up with some difficulty, prepared to spew out another lie.

When her eyes matched his stare, she felt a shiver run through her body. He looked frightened, but mostly worried, and it was all for her.

"It's nothing, really. I…" Stopping mid sentence, Kagome found herself at a lack of words.

Crouching down beside her, Inuyasha brought her face to his own. He studied it, watching her with intense emotions playing off his face.

"That just happens sometimes, so don't worry about it." It wasn't a complete lie; blacking out did happen sometimes…but she was skipping out on the reason why, which is what he'd want to know.

"Things like that don't "just happen", Kagome. Why is this happening?"

Seeing no way out of it, Kagome's face contracted with pain.

"I don't need to tell you anything," she whispered as her eyes fluttered closed.

Inuyasha was at a loss for words, but quickly regained his composure.

"Do you not trust me, Kagome?"

Kagome hesitated, and he noticed.

"I see," was his only reply.

"I trust you, I really do. It's just…there are some things I can't tell you—at least, not yet."

Nodding his head, Inuyasha seated himself beside her.

Looking at her watch, Kagome winced when she saw it was past ten.

"I really should try calling home again," she muttered, standing up.

Silence presumed the two for a minute, but Inuyasha spoke.

"Does…does "that" happen often?"

Kagome's head quirked to the side, not understanding what he meant to say.

Realization dawned on her quickly though, and she made an unhappy face.

"Not too often, but I've been feeling really tired lately."

Images of her mother floated into her mind, while she lay in her bed unmoving. Shivering at the memory, Kagome ran her hands down her arms, pushing the thought away.

"Are you cold?"

Shaking her head, Kagome forced a smile.

"No, I just remembered something. Anyway, I'd better call Kaede."

Handing her his phone once again, Kagome was extremely displeased when there was no response.

"This is not right—I have a bad feeling about this, Inuyasha."

Biting her lip, Kagome walked towards the door.

"I'd better get home and check on her; I'm worried."

Before she could leave, Inuyasha gently grabbed her arm, not wanting her to walk back incase something happened.

"Let me drive you."

XxXx

When she walked into her home, accompanied by Inuyasha, Kagome immediately began to call her mother's name.

"Kaede?"

Staring at the stairs with hatred, Kagome knew she was going to be forced to climb them.

_**The stairs laugh at you, just like I do, for being so weak. You're dying, and you won't admit it! If your life isn't ending in three days, prove it by running up those stairs like you used to!** _

Taking a deep breath, Kagome growled fiercely, and began to run up them. About halfway, she was sure she would die.

_It…it hurts…so much…to breathe…_

Coughing from her lack of oxygen, Kagome did her best to continue, determined to prove her inner voice wrong.

It felt like it took ages, but she finally managed to reach the top. Smiling brightly when she did, Kagome snapped back to reality, remembering what she was here for.

Knocking on her mother's bedroom door, Kagome waited.

And waited, and waited, and waited…

…But there was no response.

Turning the knob, she pushed the door open with little effort. Stepping quietly inside, she called Kaede's name once again, finding the older woman lying in her bed.

"Baba-chan," Kagome murmured, thinking she was sleeping.

When no response was given, she stared long and hard at her mother's face. It was calm and peaceful, just like it would normally be.

However, something was out of place—

She wasn't **moving**. Her chest stayed still, no longer rocking upwards and down in a steady rhythm with the force of contracting muscles.

Kagome's head was slowly shaken back and fourth in disbelief, not wanting to accept the sight before her.

"This…this is impossible…"

Inuyasha came behind her quietly, taking a look at what she saw. Pulling on her arm gently, Inuyasha was determined to pull her away from the lifeless woman on the bed.

"No…no, she's not dead—she's **alive**, just like **me**."

Not responding, Inuyasha tugged her arm more forcefully, but Kagome didn't move.

"Let me go, I want to hold her. **Let me hold her**," she screeched, flinging her body away from his grasp.

"Baba-chan," Kagome cried, pressing her head against the older woman's neck, inhaling her calming scent that she'd always loved.

Tears seeped out from her tightly closed eyes, unconsciously tuning out the world around her.

"Don't leave me like mommy did," Kagome whispered, holding the woman in her arms with conviction.

The tears fell faster and harder, and before she knew it, Kagome was sobbing into her mother's clothes.

Whispering "No, no, no…" over and over, she cried like she did fifteen years ago. All of the past came flooding back with a vengeance, haunting her shaking form.

_**They'd rather be dead than be with you**, _the mean voice in her head chirped darkly.

Shaking her head, Kagome denied it, and began to scream things out loud.

"She** loved** me! She didn't **want **to leave me; she **loved** me, just like **mom** did!"

The voice in her head laughed, voicing the question she didn't want to hear.

_**Then why would they leave you?**  
_  
Not knowing the answer, Kagome screamed louder, grief flowing over her shaking body.

"They **didn't** leave me—mom **promised** not to leave me! Baba-chan **promised** not to leave me—everyone promised!"

**_Then why aren't they here right now?_**

Crying harder, she yelled, "**I don't know!**"

Inuyasha watched the emotionally broken woman degrade herself into nothing with her tears, deciding that now wasn't a good time to step in. Kagome needed to grieve; she'd lost a lot.

Walking out of the room, Inuyasha gave Kagome her privacy. The last thing she wanted was to be seen like this, and he respected her wishes.

Going downstairs, Inuyasha waited patiently as he listened to her broken sobs from downstairs.

She was broken once again—but he'd make sure to never leave her. He would fix her, and do whatever it took to make her whole once more.

XxXx


	3. Chapter Three

**72 Hours**  
**By: DarkCrystalis **

**Disclaimer: **I don't have one, you evil owners of Inuyasha people (which don't include me, I might add). However, if I create any original characters, they are all mine to do whatever I want with.

XxXx

**Chapter Three**

Day One-  
Second Half (Continued)

When she came downstairs about half an hour later, Kagome looked like a mess.

Her eyes were rimmed with dark red circles, proof of her earlier tears. Her normally black, raven hair looked less shiny and alive, missing its regular gloss. Kagome's face looked deathly pale, missing the golden vitality it normally held. No smirk or smile adorned her lips, instead leaving a gravely serious frown in its wake.

Holding out her arms to him, he ran to her side and pulled her against his chest in a tight embrace. He could feel her crying quietly once again, but decided not to say anything about it.

After she pulled away, Kagome meekly rubbed the wetness from her eyes.

Forcing a smile, Kagome grabbed the phone book from underneath the table near the phone.

"I'd better call them, and ask for a funeral service…I'd like to go tomorrow, actually…" Stopping mid sentence, she began searching while Inuyasha stood watching her, awestruck.

Her mother had just died, and she was already making funeral plans?

Kagome's voice floated through his thoughts, her voice surprisingly calm as she spoke into the receiver.

"Yes, she's upstairs in her bedroom…no, I haven't moved her anywhere, and don't plan on doing so. I don't know how long it's been—a few hours, maybe? I just want a simple service, no pictures or a huge gathering of people; there'll only be two of us there."

Pausing, she bit her lip when she was asked for a date, and continued.

"Tomorrow, if possible. I know it's rather sudden, but I'd like to get this done as soon as possible. I don't want to plan anything, or have anything fancy; make everything as cheap as it can be, no extras. Right—well, of course. 23 Cougar street, near Lamnon and Germind. Great, so you'll come by in an hour? Thank you, so much; it means a lot. Goodbye! "

Hanging up the phone, Kagome smiled weakly.

"They'll be by in an hour, the woman told me. Isn't that convenient?"

Staring at her as if she'd lost her mind, Inuyasha approached her cautiously.

"Kagome, you should still be taking it easy…"

Shaking her head, she put on her best smile.

"No, I'd like this done right away—I don't want to wait."

_**As if you have a choice about waiting—you'll be dead soon, too! In fact, you should ask them to pick you up in three days, too. Maybe they'll give you a discount—a two in one deal!**_

Rolling her eyes at her thoughts, Kagome patted Inuyasha on the shoulder again in reassurance.

"I'm just fine, really…" Feeling tears well up in her eyes once more, Kagome strongly fought them off, determined not to cry in front of him again.

After a deep sigh, Kagome wiped off the fake smile from her face.

"Okay, so maybe I'm not…but I **will** be, eventually."

Hugging her again, Inuyasha made circles on her back with the palms of his hands. He would be there for her through this, especially since no one else was.

XxXx

An hour came and went, the funeral employees taking away Kaede's body as quickly as possible.

Kagome cried again when they carried her second mother's lifeless form and placed her in a body bag, looking away when a sudden sick feeling rocked her body. Silently, she thanked god that she hadn't seen this happen with her original mother fifteen years ago.

Turning to the side of the house, Kagome puked up her uneasiness in their green lawn. Her body shook with anxiousness, the shudders wrapping themselves around her.

Inuyasha hugged her after the people had left, doing his best to keep her calm. Words were not going to comfort her at this point in time, so he kept his loose hold on her shaking body.

When she was ready to go back inside, stomach probably empty, Kagome collapsed on the couch and closed her eyes. Uncaring of whether Inuyasha was there or not, she cried harder, hating her weakness.

The tears fell steadily as her throat and nasal passage filled up with phlegm. Coughing, she did her best to clear her throat, and reached for a tissue to empty her watery nose. As she extended her hand, she rocked her body forwards, in an effort to grasp the box. However, she found herself toppling to the floor instead.

Sobbing even more into the carpet, Kagome cursed her weakness. She couldn't have hated herself anymore, even if she'd wanted to.

"This is so pointless—I might as well die today, instead. Who do I have to live for now?" Mumbling the words into the floor, she sniffled.

**_You're worthless, which is why you're dying in the first place._ _Don't worry, it'll all be over soon, I promise._**

Inuyasha could hear her talking, but he couldn't make out what she was saying.

"You were right," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut even more tightly. "I'm worthless, and don't deserve to live."

He managed to catch those lines, which was why she was immediately pulled from off the floor.

"Don't you dare talk like that—you are **not **worthless!" Hating her sudden self-disgust, Inuyasha gripped her shoulders tighter.

"You're not worthless to **me**—you mean something to **me**, damnit!"

Crushing his lips against hers, Inuyasha was unprepared for her reaction. At first, he'd expected her to push him away with hatred. Instead, her mouth opened wider, allowing him dominance.

"Inuyasha," she moaned into his lips, feeling her legs weaken.

A bolt of shock ran through their bodies, strong and pulsing. Their meeting lips tingled with anticipation, wanting to do so much more than just kiss.

However, now was definitely not the appropriate time for that, and the last thing Inuyasha needed was having Kagome regret a choice made in the heat of the moment.

Gently laying her on the couch, he stroked his free hand through her hair, while the other held her body against him.

"Did that feel useless and pointless to you?"

A quiet "No" pierced through the silence, making him smile slightly.

"Good; it wasn't supposed to."

Exhaustion overwhelmed them, their bodies suddenly very, very tired from all the stress which was pent up inside them. Kagome was tired more so than Inuyasha, but it didn't really matter at that point.

Closing her eyes, Kagome mumbled "I'm so tired—let me sleep, just for a little while…" into his chest, before passing out.

XxXx

Time flew by as the two slept peacefully in the safety of Kagome's home, neither one wanting to leave the other's side.

As Kagome woke, she was disappointed to see that Inuyasha was no longer beside her. However, when the strong scent of food cooking in the kitchen wafted to her nose, her mouth watered.

_When was the last time I ate something? At 6:00 a.m.?_

It was already past 2:00 p.m. now, meaning she hadn't eaten in over seven hours.

"Inu—yasha?" Kagome called weakly, hoping he'd respond.

He walked over to her from inside the kitchen, a pink apron hanging around his neck, and tied into a neat bow at the back.

Giggling at his appearance, Kagome lifted a hand to her mouth to hide the smile.

"What? Am I suddenly not manly enough for you now?" Flipping his hair, Inuyasha made a "cha!" noise, making her laugh.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to act like a gay man. Or perhaps there's something you haven't told me?"

Assessing the sparkle in her eyes, Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders in defiance.

"Last I checked, straight men don't passionately kiss women."

Blushing at the vivid memory, Kagome pulled herself from off the couch.

"What are you cooking? It smells really good; or maybe I'm just really hungry?"

Poking him with her index finger, she inspected the food in the pot. Spaghetti sauce with chunks of beef was in one pot, alongside water boiling in a second pot, with a pack of noodles on the counter.

It looked quite delicious, actually.

Listening to the rumbling of her stomach, Kagome made a face.

"I guess I'm hungrier than I'd thought," she mumbled.

Beaming, Inuyasha replied. "Oh good—I was afraid for a moment that you don't eat spaghetti."

Shaking her head, Kagome watched as he emptied the pack of spaghetti noodles into the second boiling pot of water.

"It's almost done," he announced.

"Well, aren't you the smart one?"

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest.

"Kagome?"

After a brief pause, she replied, "Yeah?"

"What's the real reason behind your wanting to have the funeral tomorrow? I don't buy your other story."

For the first time she hadn't lied about wanting to get it over with, and he questioned her honesty!

"No, really! I want to get it done…I hate this sort of stuff. Putting it off makes me feel worse and worse with each passing moment."

Her eyes watered, but she quickly squashed the idea of crying.

_Aren't I out of tears yet?_

Nodding solemnly, Inuyasha thought it'd be best not to press the issue anymore.

Soon enough, Inuyasha was serving her a bowl of spaghetti with just the right amount of parmesan sprinkled on top.

They sat at the table and ate in silence, both afraid to speak.

When she'd finished, Kagome broke the uneasy tension between them.

"Thank you for cooking dinner—it was wonderful!" Then, as an afterthought, "I wish I could cook like that!"

He laughed a little, bowing his head in reply.

"I try my best; especially around you."

Kagome found herself blushing again, and couldn't keep it from appearing on her face.

"I—ah…Well…"

Inuyasha leant over from in the chair beside her, lightly pressing his lips over hers to keep her quiet.

"Don't talk, or you'll ruin the moment."

Smiling against his lips, Kagome gave into the temptation to close her eyes.

Ever since she'd started talking to Inuyasha that morning, she'd felt so much more alive, as if her life truly had a meaning behind it. Her body didn't hurt as much anymore, and she found his calming aura addictive.

**_It's only temporary—he isn't going to save you from your destined fate._**

Ignoring the voice again, she found herself giving into Inuyasha's kisses and embraces.

_Maybe he feels the same about me, too._

XxXx

For the rest of the night, the two stayed up watching movies Kagome owned at home.

The first movie on the line-up was Sleepy Hollow, which made Kagome nervous. She'd seen the movie years back, and remembered being terrified of it. However, this time, Inuyasha was there to hold her hand, and cover her eyes during the scary parts.

When the horror flick finally finished, Kagome was filled with a sense of emptiness. The movie had disturbed her last time she'd seen it, and she felt just as disturbed now as she did then.

Needing a distraction to those depressing thoughts, Kagome begged him to watch a chick flick. The first movie that came to mind was "10 Things I Hate About You", which made Inuyasha cringe. He wasn't much of a feminine-male, so he'd never really been into these romance/humour movies.

However, after much pleading and promising of a sweet kiss afterwards, he had to give in. Besides, the way her eyes sparkled with delight once he'd okayed it was enough reason to sit through the next hour and a half of torture.

In all actuality, the movie wasn't as bad as he'd thought it'd be. It wasn't superbly romantic, which was what he'd first expected, and there were some parts where he almost laughed; but he'd never let Kagome know that.

After the third movie started, Kagome did her best to stay awake.

Despite her overwhelming happiness to be with Inuyasha, her body defied her. It constantly screamed "_Sleep!"_ in her ear, eventually using more soothing tones to allow her eyes to droop closed.

Turning her face into his chest, Kagome sighed deeply.

"Tired…" she whispered, closing her eyes.

"I know, sleep."

Inuyasha lay beside her, adjusting the hold he had around her body while she lay against him on the couch.

It was only past 6:00 p.m.; why was she so tired? Had they done anything to really tire her out?

This couldn't be normal behaviour, no matter what argument she tried to throw at him.

However, before she would tell him what was truly wrong with her, she'd have to fully trust him.

_She has to know that I'll never leave her, no matter what._

With that thought in mind, he became even more determined to unravel the mystery known as Kagome Higurashi; and unconsciously, the unknown feelings his heart was harbouring._  
_  
XxXx

**Day Two-  
First Half**

Feeling his cell phone ring, Inuyasha reluctantly answered it, fumbling in the darkness.

Unhappily, he realized it was his secretary.

"What! Why is he calling you at…" Pausing to check the time, he continued. "At 4:33 a.m.? I'm not available for all-hours! If it's an emergency, then he doesn't need to speak with me—it should be with a hospital!"

Apparently, one of Inuyasha's delusional patients had called Kikyou, his secretary, minutes beforehand, demanding to have a session with Inuyasha in his office.

"But Inuyasha," Kikyou's voice floated through the phone and into his ear, "He's threatening to kill himself."

Feeling his face fall, Inuyasha silently hated his job. The last thing he wanted to do was leave Kagome's side now; she needed him, and probably a lot more than one of his patients.

Not realizing he was holding his breath, Inuyasha forced himself to breathe.

"Alright, Kikyou. Tell him I'll be at my office in fifteen minutes, and that if he doesn't show up, I'll withdraw him from our records."

"Yes, sir!"

Hanging up the phone, Inuyasha looked at Kagome with a frown marring his face.

"I don't want to leave you—but I have to," he whispered in her ear.

Pressing his lips to hers briefly, Inuyasha attempted to pull his body away from hers.

At first, she gripped her hands tighter on his shirt, not wanting to let go.

However, after somehow managing to grab his sweater from on the couch's armrest, Inuyasha removed her hands from his chest. Placing it in her hands, he watched as she held the material and buried her face into it, inhaling his scent.

_Thank god she's still asleep._

Gently rolling off the couch onto his two feet, Inuyasha blindly groped for the pen he knew was on the coffee table from earlier.

Yanking out a wrinkled piece of paper from in his pocket, he quickly jotted down what he needed to say.  
_  
Kagome,_

Sorry for leaving you in the middle of the night, but one of my patients needs me. I'll be back right after; I'm not leaving you, I promise.

_-Inuyasha_

Choosing his words carefully, such as "_I'm not leaving you, I promise_", he exited her home, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Jumping into his car, he drove off, heading back to his office.

XxXx

_"Mommy, tell me you won't leave me; I don't want you to."_

"I'll never leave you, baby. I might not be there with you, but I promise I'll never leave you."

"Baby, I'm so tired—_let me sleep, just for a little while…"_

"No…no, no, no! Mommy! **Please**, mommy! You** promised** me you wouldn't leave me! You** promised**, mommy!"

XxXx

_"Kagome, you've got AIDS, and you're going to die within the next 72 hours."_

It…it hurts…so much…to breathe…

XxXx

_"Baba-chan!"_

No response.

"This…this is impossible…"

"No…no, she's not dead—she's **alive**, just like **me**."

Tears seeped out from her tightly closed eyes, unconsciously tuning out the world around her.

"Don't leave me like mommy did," Kagome whispered, holding the woman in her arms with conviction.

"No, no, no…"  
  
XxXx  
_  
_Waking up in a pool of sweat, Kagome's heart pounded strongly against her chest, as if trying to free itself from her body.

Flashbacks of ugly memories hit her like a tidal wave, completely overwhelming her broken emotions.

Kagome sobbed, the sound making anyone want to cry along with her.

During her breakdown, she didn't notice Inuyasha's form which was now absent from her side, or the note he left her on the coffee table.

Rolling onto her stomach, she allowed the sobs to reign her weak body.

_When will this stop? When will these memories leave me alone?_

Not wanting to hear the answer, but knowing she would, Kagome cried harder.

**_Once you die, you will lose everything—I promise._**

Yanking the pillow out from under her head, Kagome flung it against the wall.

"**I hate you!**" She screamed, pounding the couch beneath her.

**_Oh well—I don't remember telling you I liked you in the first place._**

Kagome continued thrashing on the couch, as if it were the person tormenting her almost every waking moment.

Her arms hurt, her legs hurt, her chest burned, and suddenly, she couldn't breathe.

_**Ah yes, you're suffering, but I promise you that you won't die yet. Feel the burning pain—accept it, wallow in it. Doesn't it feel nice, knowing that it'll all end soon?**_

Tears streaming down her face, Kagome dropped her arms, tilting her head to the ceiling.

"**Why **did you leave me?** Why**? I **loved** you, I** needed** you—and you **left **me! You **promised** me, **swore **you would never leave me, and yet, you did…"

Suddenly, Kagome's eyes snapped open, remembering what her mother said.

_"I'll never leave you, baby. I might not be there with you, but I promise I'll never leave you."_

Wait a minute…

"She didn't leave me…she…she…"

Pausing, Kagome smiled the biggest smile she could manage.

"She **knew** she was dying, and even though I can't see her right now, she's **here** for me! That's what she meant! She might not be here physically, but she's **watching **me; she's still **loving** me…"

For some odd reason, Kagome got the feeling that the voice was scowling at her, but then it spoke.

**_Your mother loved you no more than she'd love the dirt under her feet. Don't think so foolishly—it's a waste of your minimal energy._**

Smiling even brighter, Kagome lay down and closed her eyes, finally understanding.

"She loves me…she always has…"

With that thought, Kagome fell asleep once more, her energy drained.

XxXx

Inuyasha sighed, listening to his patient ramble about having some sort of vision.

"It's a prophecy," Naraku told Inuyasha, staring at him with utter seriousness. "If I don't kill myself, they will **get **me!"

After a moment's pause, he continued. "See? I came prepared to kill myself with this switchblade! It's so shiny and pretty—I just bought it yesterday. Isn't it nice?"

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, Inuyasha's patient is schizophrenic.

Furrowing his eyebrow, Inuyasha stared into the frightened man's eyes. "Do you trust me?"

Naraku looked at him as if he had two chickens on his head, but after a moment, replied with "I think so."

"Good. Now, no one is out to get you. Do you know how I know this?"

Naraku shook his head, leaning unconsciously closer in curiosity.

"Because if anyone goes after you, I'm going to kick their ass. Do you know why I'd do that, Naraku?"

Once again, he shook his head, slightly surprised at the vocabulary he had just used.

"Because you and many others pay me a lot of money during these sessions, and the money I receive is what pays my bills for my food, home, and entertainment. Without this money, I'd be on the street."

Naraku's eyes widened, not expecting this sort of response from his Psychologist—of all people.

"Now, if it makes you feel any better, I'll hire a bodyguard for you. He'll sit in your house, outside your bedroom window, and protect you. Is that what you want for a week? Will it make you feel more safe?"

Nodding his head enthusiastically, Inuyasha smiled slightly when his patient seemed a million times more relieved.

"Go home and get some sleep; the bodyguard will be there in a few hours. Until then, I promise you'll be safe."

Shaking Inuyasha's hand, Naraku was almost tempted to hug him.

"Thank you so much, thank you!"

Pulling the switchblade back out of his pocket, Naraku began to play with between his fingers.

A cold look suddenly entered his eyes, a disturbing gleam replacing his previous thanks.

"Inuyasha—what would you do if I stabbed you with my pretty, shiny, expensive switchblade?"

Turning around calmly, he glared at his patient.

"I'd kick your ass," Inuyasha stated seriously.

"Oh, just checking." Grinning happily once again, Naraku was about to leave when Inuyasha's voice pierced through the air.

"Oh, and Naraku? Do me a favour; take your meds tonight."

XxXx

After having slept for a few more hours, Kagome roused herself from the couch.

Yawning, she sighed at the sudden feeling of being freed from chains.

The realization that her mother didn't leave her made Kagome feel more alive than she'd ever been—aside from when she was with Inuyasha.

_Speaking of the devil, where is he?_

Craning her neck around the room, Kagome didn't see him anywhere.

"Inuyasha!" She yelled, knowing he'd head her if he was upstairs.

**_He's not here—he's left you, too._**

About to stretch her arms, Kagome noticed something fall out of her lap.

It was a dark green sweater, slightly crumpled from being held unconsciously in her hands.

_It's Inuyasha's!_

Grinning, she brought it up to her face to smell.

Nearly moaning at the arousing yet calming scent, Kagome folded it neatly and put it back on the armrest.

_**Get over it—I told you he's gone already!**_ **_He left you!_**

Leaning forwards, she reached for the glass of water she'd left on the coffee table last night. However, a small piece of wrinkled paper caught her attention, making her leave the glass where it was.

Reading it, her eyes widened, seeing that it was from Inuyasha.

"So that's where he's run off to…but he'll be back! He's promised to come back!" Kagome stated gaily, defying the voice in her head.

_**No he won't.**_

Laughing, Kagome merely shook her head.

"You try too hard to depress me—I should ignore you from now on.

**_Damnit._**

Skipping over to the kitchen, Kagome picked up a banana from in the fruit bowl, suddenly feeling the urge for a snack.

Unpeeling it, she ate it rather quickly, while filling a new glass with some orange juice.

Scrunching her nose, Kagome noticed with disgust that it'd been ages since she'd last showered.

_I wonder how Inuyasha's dealt with my stench for the past couple days—it's so gross!_

**_He hasn't dealt with it—he's cursing you for your stinky body every moment of his waking!_**

_That's possible—but at least he's too nice to say anything about it!_

**_Hmph._**

Grinning, Kagome walked gingerly up the stairs, being sure not to tire herself out this time.

Once in her room, she rummaged around for some clean clothes. Finding what she wanted, Kagome moved to the bathroom, dropping the clothes on the floor.

Making sure there was a clean towel for afterwards, she stepped in behind the shower curtain once free of clothes, and turned on the dial.

Water shot out of the showerhead, spraying her body lovingly.

**_Enjoy the feeling while it lasts, wench._**

Humming as loudly as she could, Kagome began to massage her scalp with a handful of shampoo. It was floral scented, which made her giggle.

_I bet Inuyasha will just** die** when he has to put up with the smell!_

Her smile faded when the annoying voice countered her original thought.__

**I bet you'll just die when your body fails to fight the cold it currently has, due to not having any T-cells.**

Shivering, Kagome decided it was probably best to get out of the shower as soon as possible.

As she reached for the bar of soap, her footing slipped from underneath her, knocking her down onto the tub's hard bottom.

"Oh…shit…help…" she was able to cry before blacking out.

XxXx


	4. Chapter Four

**72 Hours  
By: DarkCrystalis**

**Disclaimer: **I don't have one, you evil owners of Inuyasha people (which don't include me, I might add). However, if I create any original characters, they are all mine to do whatever I want with.

**Disclaimer #2:** I do not own the song "Hanging by a Moment", which is sung/and/or sang by Lifehouse.

XxXx

**Chapter Four **

**Day Two-  
Second Half**

Sighing, Inuyasha walked out of his office with a sense of happiness filling him. He was able to help one of his psychotic patients, which made him feel good about himself.

However, most of his good mood was directed towards the fact that he was going to see Kagome again. He still felt bad for leaving her earlier, but at the same time was desperately hoping she'd found the note, understanding why he'd had to leave so abruptly.

Stepping into his car, Inuyasha started the engine and took off from in the parking lot. Her home was close by, which was how he'd managed to remember where she lived.

When the familiar home came into view, he jumped out of the car, not even bothering to knock on the unlocked door.

"Kago…" Stopping, Inuyasha realized the shower was running.

_She must be up there—I don't want to bother her. _

Sitting down in a chair, Inuyasha flicked on the television, waiting for her to come back downstairs.

Minutes ticked by, those few minutes turning into ten, and then those ten turning into fifteen.

Raking his fingers through his hair, Inuyasha took in a deep breath. Like it or not, he was worried.

_I know she's been acting weird lately—is it possible that something happened? _

After another few minutes, Inuyasha got up.

_It won't hurt to check—I'll just make sure everything's alright._

When he knocked on the bathroom door and didn't receive a response, panic settled into the core of his body.

"Kagome? If you're in there, answer me!"

Still not hearing anything, he turned the knob, wanting to get to the bottom of his nervousness.

The door opened easily, due to the lock not having been used. Kagome's clothes lay on the floor of the bathroom in a small pile, a clean outfit right beside it for afterwards.

Pulling the curtain aside, his jaw dropped in horror at the sight. Kagome's naked body was laid across the bathtub while the warm water still pounded on her relentlessly.

Turning off the flow immediately, Inuyasha pulled her body into his arms, uninterested in admiring her nakedness right now.

Wrapping her in the towel nearby, he began to rub it all over her skin, trying to dry her off. Taking off his shirt, Inuyasha used it to tie it around her hair, in order for it to dry faster.

Then, when he was some-what satisfied, he picked up her unconscious form and the clean clothes from in the bathroom, bringing everything into her bedroom.

Inspecting her for any possible wounds, he made a disapproved face when he found a bump on the back of her head.

_She must have slipped while she was showering, and fell; that's why she was knocked out._

Sighing, he knew there was nothing he could do to help her with her minor injury. He could, however, get her body warmed up by re-clothing her. So, after a bit of debate, he started with her shirt and worked his way down. It was surprisingly much easier than he'd first anticipated—which was by all means, a good thing.

Once that deed was done, Inuyasha couldn't help but smile. Even when unaware of her surroundings, she was reaching out to him, pulling him into her arms.

Grinning, Inuyasha found himself giving in once more. If she wanted to be with him, and he didn't have any qualms about it, what was a reason to hold himself back?

Shivering at the loss of warmth, Inuyasha found himself rubbing his bare arms and chest. Pulling the comforter over their bodies, he snuggled his head slightly below her breasts. Inuyasha listened to her steady heartbeat, which ended up lulling him into a light slumber minutes later.

XxXx

Slowly waking, Kagome weakly opened her eyes. The brightness shining through the windows made her shut them again, wincing in sudden pain.

"My head hurts like something awful," she whispered as she rubbed her forehead, hoping for some sort of relief.

Surprisingly, Inuyasha appeared in the doorway with a bottle of Advil and a glass of water.

"I had a sneaky suspicion that you'd be waking up soon." Grinning, he sat down beside her.

Jumping at his voice, her eyes flew open. However, she immediately calmed when he began to caress her face.

"Take these," he whispered in her ear, stopping his massaging fingers on her face. Placing the two regular-strength pain reliever pills in her hand, Inuyasha watched her sit upright as she winced in pain.

"Aiyah…it hurtsss…" Kagome hissed, biting her lower lip.

"It'll go away soon, after you take these. Do it now," he commanded in a stern yet soft tone, watching her nod meekly in response.

Once the water was drained and the pills taken, Inuyasha gently pushed her back onto the bed.

"You're not going anywhere, missy. In fact, you'll be staying right here until I let you move."

Quirking an eyebrow, Kagome had a feeling of where this was going…

…and she didn't like it.

"I'll go **wherever** I want!"

Smirking, Inuyasha pushed her shoulders deeper into the bed as his body hovered over hers.

"Oh no you won't," he replied as his breath brushed across her lips. They were mere inches apart, oh-so-close to kissing one another.

Subconsciously arching her body, Inuyasha's eyes widened, realizing their close proximity.

"Kagome," he whispered, leaning his head the rest of the way down to her lips.

At first he was hesitant, not sure if this was what she'd wanted. However, any doubts were soon squashed as she opened her lips to his unobtrusive mouth.

"Mmm…" she moaned, feeling her lips spread into a smile.

Silently damning himself for dressing her earlier, Inuyasha settled on dragging his lips to the side of her exposed neck. Gently nipping at the sensitive area, his whole body shook with heat and excitement as her body arched against his again.

"This is very bad," Kagome found herself saying, having an idea of where this might lead to.

All in all, in this case, "bad" was very, very good.

"No, it's…dangerous…" Inuyasha brought his lips lower, reaching her collar bone with ease.

_**Yeah, dangerous in the sense that if you two have sex, he has a high chance of getting AIDS! What do you think you're doing! **_

Freezing up at the thought, Kagome's arms began pushing his chest away from her.

Instantly pulling away, he rolled onto the side of her bed, blushing slightly.

For a good minute or two, neither of them could look at one another.

Finally, Inuyasha mustered up the courage to say something.

"S-sorry," he mumbled, not glancing at her as he spoke.

Kagome bit her lip, feeling awash with guilt.

"It's…it's not about you, I promise. Under other circumstances, maybe I would have…"

Staring into her eyes, he silently demanded for her to expand on the previous statement.

"Oh, well…I'm um…I'm just not ready…yet."

The lie sounded weak, even to her own ears; but for some reason, Kagome knew he wouldn't argue with her over it.

"Oh—alright then; I understand." **_No you don't…idiot._**

Frowning, Kagome did what she could to make the best of the uncomfortable situation.

"Um…can you turn on the radio?"

Her hesitant request filled the silence of the room, making his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. He hadn't expected a question such as that, but didn't mind nonetheless.

Walking over to the dresser, he flipped the "on" switch, listening to a man's voice play through the speakers.

"Stupid commercials," Kagome muttered unhappily. "They should play more **music**."

Smiling a little at her minor distress, Inuyasha lay back down beside her.

A song Kagome recognized wafted through the tense air, making her giggle giddily.

"I love this song **soooo** much!"

Jumping off the bed, she scowled when her head began to pound at the sudden movement.

"Argh, stupid bump…screw you!"

Swaying back and fourth on her feet, Kagome sang with the song.

_Desperate for changing,  
Starving for truth.  
I'm closer to where I started,  
I'm chasing after you. _

I'm falling even more in love with you,  
Letting go of all I've held on to.  
I'm standing here until you make me move,  
I'm hanging by a moment here with you.

Beckoning him to follow her, Inuyasha reluctantly got off the bed to where she stood. Taking her hands in his, he pulled her body against him, and slow danced with her to the lulling music.

_Forgetting all I'm lacking,  
Completely incomplete.  
I'll take your invitation,  
You take all of me now…_

_I'm falling even more in love with you,  
Letting go of all I've held on to.  
I'm standing here until you make me move,  
I'm hanging by a moment here with you. _

_I'm living for the only thing I know,  
I'm running and not quite sure where to go.  
And I don't know what I'm diving into,  
I'm hanging by a moment here with you._

Knowing the song all too well, Inuyasha smirked against her ear, whispering the words to her.

_There's nothing else to lose,  
There's nothing else to find;  
There's nothing in the world,  
That can change my mind._

_There is nothing else…  
There is nothing else…  
There is nothing else._

Shivering, she gripped him tighter, never wanting to let go.

However, when he started singing the last lines of the song, tears sprung to her eyes.

_Desperate for changing,  
Starving for truth.  
I'm closer to where I started,  
I'm chasing after you._

_I'm falling even more in love with you,  
Letting go of all I've held on to.  
I'm standing here until you make me move,  
I'm hanging by a moment here with you. _

_I'm living for the only thing I know,  
I'm running and not quite sure where to go.  
And I don't know what I'm diving into,  
I'm hanging by a moment here with you._

_Just hanging by a moment (here with you),  
Hanging by a moment (here with you)._

_Hanging by a moment (here with you),  
Hanging by a moment here with you._

A few of the useless water drops managed to drip out of her eyes, but she buried her face into his shoulder in hopes to hide it.

Lifting her face to his, Inuyasha was extremely unhappy when he saw the tears slip from her eyes.

"Why are you sad, Kagome? I thought it would make you happy…"

Shaking her head, she flung her arms around his neck even tighter.

"No, this makes me so, so, so very happy…I'm so glad that I'm not alone."

Going on her tip toes to kiss him softly, she placed a soft hand on his cheek.

_I wish this could last; I wish **we **could last. _

Inuyasha assumed she was speaking about her adoptive mother, which was why he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'll never leave your side—I promised you I wouldn't. Don't you believe me, Kagome?" His heart pounded faster in his chest, making his breathing go at a quicker pace.

"I'll always trust you, Inuyasha."

Pausing, Kagome forced herself to smile bitterly.

_But when I tell you I'm dying, will **you** still trust **me**?_

XxXx

Hours later, the two found themselves enjoying one another's company in the park. They'd been walking around in the setting sunlight minutes before, until Kagome saw the swings at the nearby playground.

"Please?" She'd requested, looking at him with her infamous puppy dog eyes.

Not being able to resist her, he easily allowed himself to be dragged towards the children's play structure. It'd been ages since the last time he'd been on a swing, and suddenly, he felt the tiniest of child-like urges to let himself loose.

Setting her down on the nearest swing, he gently pushed her as she giggled merrily. Kagome smiled, laughed, and ranted about how when she was younger, she went to the park everyday, just to go on the swings.

He listened intently, not wanting to interrupt her when she was so obviously happy about recounting her childhood. As she continued speaking, Inuyasha found himself remembering his own childhood. It didn't seem as good as hers—he didn't get to go to the park all the time, or have an ice cream cone whenever the ice cream man was nearby the park while being there.

"My mom used to take me…Kaede, I mean …"

However, when she stopped mid sentence, Inuyasha's arms tightened on her shoulders.

"Tomorrow," she whispered mournfully, feeling quite weak all of a sudden.

Inuyasha, thinking he was smart for believing she was talking about Kaede's funeral, hugged her back to his chest in comfort.

"I'll be there with you tomorrow, Kagome. I'll be there with you through it all—I promised you I would, and I intend to keep that promise."

Her eyes darkened slightly as she stared up at him, shaking her head.

"You have no idea what you're promising me, Inuyasha."

Walking in front of her, he crouched down, staring into her eyes.

"What are you hiding from me?"

Mutely, Kagome shook her head in denial, but he knew.

It was too late; she couldn't hide it any longer.

Taking a deep breath, she squeezed her eyes shut and bowed her head lowly, not being able to look at him.

"I-I don't know how to say this," she started, feeling the oncoming tears wash over her face.

"It couldn't be that bad," Inuyasha began saying, tilting her head to meet his hopeful eyes. "Could it?"

Lips trembling, tears streaming, Kagome launched herself into his arms, knocking the two of them to the soft sand.

"I'm dying, Inuyasha—I've got AIDS, and I'm dying tomorrow. When I went to see the doctor two days ago, he told me I'd have seventy two hours to live. Ever since then, I've been doing my best to ignore the pain, the tiredness, **everything**, and because of you, I've had a reason to live."

Taking a huge breath, Kagome rushed out all of her feelings.

"I know I should have told you—but I didn't. I was afraid you'd leave me; afraid that you'd leave me to die alone. I don't want to die alone, Inuyasha…" Sobbing harder, she clutched onto the front of his shirt, begging for him to understand.

Digesting this information the best way he could, Inuyasha slowly got up, and began to walk away.

"I need some time…" Inuyasha whispered, feeling betrayed and hurt.

He'd known right from the beginning something was wrong, and even after repeated attempts getting her to open up to him, she'd denied having any problems.

"Inuyasha, **no**," she sobbed brokenly, running after him. "You promised me you wouldn't leave me—don't leave me like mama and Kaede did."

"Kagome—you **lied** to me. I wanted to **help** you, make you **feel better** the best way I could, but you betrayed me instead."

Shaking her head as quickly as she could, she grabbed his arm and held on tightly.

"It's not what you think—don't take it the wrong way!"

Turning around, Inuyasha called out, "I just need some space—I'll be back later," over his shoulder.

Walking away in the dusky light of the late afternoon, Inuyasha didn't look back as Kagome's body fell to the ground in defeat.

"I might not be here later," she whispered emotionlessly as the tears didn't cease their flowing.

Her eyes swelled, now red and tinged with a deep sadness. Her proud, tall form was now crumpled on the gravel ground, shaking uncontrollably with the emotions running through her at an all-time high.

"Why did you leave me, Inuyasha?"

XxXx

When he got home to his apartment, Inuyasha felt the anger well up inside him. Punching the white wood door, he felt the harsh pain on his knuckles.

"**Why** damnit, **why**?"

Resting his head against the nearest wall, Inuyasha felt tears sting his eyes. The last time he'd cried was when he was a child, over something really stupid. Now, he was crying because the one person he'd loved, aside from his family members, was being taken away from him.

Leaving her in the park had been a dumb idea, but he had to get himself aligned before he saw her again. The last thing he'd wanted to do was hurt her, or say something he'd regret more than this.

Collapsing on his bed, Inuyasha shivered as he mourned for himself, and Kagome.

He couldn't allow himself this release for long, though; he knew her time was running out.

Sickeningly, he finally understood why she hadn't told him until now.

_She was afraid something like this would happen—and that I wouldn't come back. _

Shaking his head, Inuyasha made a decision.

Despite the fact that he was unstable, Inuyasha knew he'd have to see her soon. The last thing he wanted was for her to think that she'd been abandoned, and that she'd die alone.

_No matter what,_ he told himself, _I have to be there for her when that painful moment comes, just like I promised. _

XxXx

**Day Three-  
First Half**

Some time, much later the next morning, Kagome dragged herself up from the playground's floor. Her body protested wildly, but she shushed it when she made promises to feed her stomach when she got home.

Feeling frail and sluggish, finally, after a good few attempts, Kagome managed to begin the short walk back home. She had to stop every minute, taking deep, unsteady breaths as her body wore down even further than before, but that didn't keep her from getting to where she needed to be.

Today was Kaede's funeral, and by god, she was determined to live through it. What kind of daughter would she be if she died at her mother's funeral?

Stepping through the threshold of her house, Kagome slipped off her shoes, and dispassionately went over to the phone. Calling the funeral home, she double checked the arrangement time. The funeral would be held in just under an hour, which barely gave her enough time to change, and make it there on time.

Thanking the woman over the telephone, Kagome went upstairs to change. This time, climbing the stairs was a million times harder than the last. She felt feeble and useless after only three steps, but somehow managed to mount the hated steps.

Changing as quickly as she could, Kagome descended the steps, pausing after she did so. There, in the doorway, stood Inuyasha.

He stared at her unblinkingly, his lips drawn in a tight line.

"Kagome, I—"

Before he could attempt to explain, or do anything for that matter, she bowled him over in a full-force embrace.

Kissing him all over his face, she cried, and cried, and cried. She thanked the gods that he hadn't left her, never having felt so happy in her entire lifetime.

"I…you—" Words evaded her as she cried the happiest tears she could manage. "You came back to me!"

Nuzzling her head with his nose, Inuyasha felt his eyes tear up. "I promised you I would, didn't I? What happened to never doubting me?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but Inuyasha softly placed his index finger over her lips.

"Shh; we want to get to the funeral home on time for the ceremony, right? We'll grab something to eat along the way."

For once in her life, Kagome felt no need to protest as he carried her in his arms.

XxXx

After cramming their faces with take-out fast food while driving, they arrived minutes before the tiny funeral was to be held. They would be the only ones there, which was why a small room had been reserved for them.

Stepping in, Kagome immediately walked over to the cheap, ugly, standard coffin.

Whispering to Inuyasha, "I'd rather have her laid out on the table instead; it'd look a lot better."

Withholding a laugh, he held onto her hand tightly. She was making humour, because she knew she would be breaking down soon. Nonetheless, one of them had to be strong through this, and it sure as hell wouldn't be Kagome, which left him.

Looking around the room, she found that she hated it.

White walls, four black leather chairs, and the table the coffin was on consisted of all the furniture. Some pictures of water and flowers hung on the dim walls in bland frames, making the room feel sadder than it already was.

The hard carpet beneath their feet matched the colour of the ceiling, which didn't say much, seeing how it was a dark bluish grey hue.

All in all, the room was drab and depressing, pulling down Kagome's already unhappy mood even further.

Sighing, she turned her focus to the reason why she was here.

If Kagome was more naïve, she'd think Kaede was just resting for a little while. She looked exactly how she normally did, minus the fact that she wasn't breathing.

Standing in front of the coffin, Kagome's hand gently traced the outline of her adoptive mother's face. They had used some make up, but it looked natural, and didn't come off when she was touched. Kaede wore the same clothes she'd died in, which made her look right at home.

A soft sob erupted from Kagome's throat, filling the tense silence, making it sound so much louder than it really was.

Inuyasha's arms immediately wrapped around her, telling her that everything would be alright as he reassured himself in the process.

As the sobs continued, Kagome hiccupped, feeling her hands tremble as she brought her hands up to her face.

One of the women that worked in the funeral home walked over, offering her a tissue, asking, "Do you need anything, miss?"

Kagome glared at her with loathing, and snapped, "Does it** look** like I need anything? Just get out."

The woman didn't seem surprised or unhappy at her rude outburst. Instead, she moved back, giving the hostile woman her much needed space.

Gripping his arms, Kagome felt herself grow weak.

"I've had enough of this—I can't stand it anymore; I don't want to cry anymore. Kaede wouldn't have wanted me to cry; she would have wanted me to be strong, just like she was."

Inuyasha nodded understandingly.

Clasping her hand in his own, Inuyasha told the woman that they were finished.

When the woman went to ask Kagome a question, he handled it. "I'll take care of the costs and arrangements tomorrow," he told the woman, daring her to defy his demand.

Nodding meekly, she showed them the way out, although it was rather obvious how to leave the depressing building.

"Thank you, Inuyasha; I really appreciate it," Kagome said quietly as they walked out.

Once in Inuyasha's car, Kagome wiped the tears away from her eyes, sighing in defeat.

"I think I'll be able to last until later on tonight…"

Growling, Inuyasha reminded her to be quiet and enjoy the last bit of time she had with him.

A tense silence followed as he drove back to her home, but Kagome quietly spoke.

"I've always wondered how my mom died, and now, I think I know."

Although he was driving, Kagome knew he was giving her his full attention.

"When she passed away, she was just like me; weak, tired, and not able to move. I'm sure it hurt her a lot, but she wouldn't dare tell me that. However, what she did tell me was that she was tired, and needed to sleep…" Smiling bitterly, Kagome wished she'd known all those years ago. "She had AIDS, just like I do now."

"I don't know what to say, Kagome," Inuyasha mumbled in the silence of the car as they pulled up in her driveway.

Smiling a sad smile, she placed a hand on his cheek. "I don't expect you to say a thing, Inuyasha."

As he got out of the car, he walked over to her side, picking her up bridal style.

He opened the unlocked door, and glided up the stairs. Entering her bedroom once more, he lay her down on the soft mattress.

"I'm going to go boil some water—would you like a cup of coffee?"

Nodding, she watched him leave to run down to the kitchen, promising to be right back.

_My final moment has arrived—I've reached the end of the road._

**_Are you ready, Kagome? _**

After a moment's thought, she put on a solemn face.

_Yes._

XxXx


	5. Chapter Five

**72 Hours  
By: DarkCrystalis**

**Disclaimer: **I don't have one, you evil owners of Inuyasha people (which don't include me, I might add). However, if I create any original characters, they are all mine to do whatever I want with.

XxXx

**Chapter Five**

**Day Three-  
Second Half **

Kagome lay in bed, not uttering a word…

…but that was mostly due to the fact that she couldn't.

Minutes ago, Kagome's life faded away in the dim light of the room, her body being feebly held in Inuyasha's embrace until the very last breath left her.

An unsaid understanding of love had passed through the two of them before she died; they knew that they felt deeply for one another. It didn't need to be said—it was just…there.

Even hours afterwards, Inuyasha didn't relent his hold on her as he continued keening and whimpering at his lost love. His eyes were deadpan; cold, lonely, and empty, just like his soul.

Kagome was gone—and so was a part of him.

Forcing a sad smile onto his face, he recalled what had happened before she left his side for forever.

_She was at her weakest point yet; just opening her eyes required a huge amount of effort._

_Time was ticking, and Kagome could feel the end coming nearer with each passing minute. _

Whispering hoarsely to him, "Hold me—and don't let go," Inuyasha complied without a second thought.

He lay down beside her, pulling her near lifeless body against his own.

"I'm not leaving you," he whispered in her ear, feeling tears prick his eyes. "Even if you leave me—I'll never leave you. I'll never let go—not until you tell me to; but promise me something. Promise me you won't forget that I'll never stop loving you."

Tears streaked down her cheeks, but she was too immobile to wipe them away. With shaky fingers, Inuyasha did the small deed for her.

"Is…is that…a—a promise?" She asked, straining the words. "I have a hard time with promises," Kagome explained, laughing in a forced manner.

"It's a promise," he answered simply, feeling the tears fall down his own cheeks.

Whispering a weak "Thank you," he, in turn, smiled at her with a watery smile.

Not much else was said until her heart stopped, leaving her literally breathless.

"Th-this is i-it," Kagome cried out, feeling herself choke on the lack of air pumping through her lungs. _"It's f-funny, you know. I s-sort of wanted to go out with a b-bang, not l-like this. God, I'm s-so t-tired…"_

_"Shh baby, it'll be alright—I'm still here. Go take your eternal sleep now, love; do it now, before I don't let you."_

After a few minutes, her body fell unconscious.

That was when he knew she was finally gone, and never coming back.

Tears continually fell down his face, the grieving hitting him full force.

Inhaling her scent, he began whispering against her neck.

"There'll never be another like you, Kagome; I'll never love another like you. I'll never smile again like I did with you, but most of all, no one will ever miss you like I do."

XxXx

---End---


End file.
